20140606

A spring of Awaji Island: Awaji Yumebutai 1

 flower
     1

On May 18, I went to Awaji Yumebutai, on a fine day.
This is in north end of Awaji Island, Awaji City, Hyogo, and is a flower and a green park sandwiched between a hill and Osaka Bay.
Today, I introduce to you the flowers seen near the entrance of the park.

5月18日、天気の良い日に、淡路夢舞台に行って来ました。
ここは淡路島の北端、淡路市にあり、丘陵と海に挟まれた花と緑の公園です。
今日は、公園の入口付近で見かけた花々を紹介します。


A panoramic view of Awaji Yumebutai 

< 2.  A panoramic view of Awaji Yumebutai >

In the upper part of the photo, there is an express highway.
In the upper right corner of it, there are Akashi Strait and a big bridge.
A red part of it is the place that I have taken the photo of this flower in.

写真、上部に神戸淡路鳴門自動車道路、右上に明石海峡と大橋蛾見える。
赤色部分が、今回の花の写真を撮った所です。


flower

    

flower

    

flower

    

There were not many flowers, but sunlight was shining strongly, and the flowers of the primary color looked like dazzling.

花は多くはなかったのですが、陽差しが強く照り、原色の花々が眩しく輝いていました。


flowerbed 


    

Local people planted flowers in each flowerbeds of wooden frame, and displayed these.

この日は、地域の人々が花壇を造り、木枠毎に展示されていました。

flower 
    

Both the sky and the sea were blue and crisp, but when I continued walking, I broke a sweat.

Next time, I introduce to you the buildings and the landscape of the park.

空も海も青く、すがすがしかったが、歩き続けていると汗がにじんで来ました。

次回は、公園内の安藤忠雄作の建築物と景観を紹介します。




20140605

The society and the information 31 : Information crosses the border 5

 Pro-democracy demonstration of East Germany in 1989

  1.  Pro-democracy demonstration of East Germany in 1989   >



Following the last article, I investigate the cause of having led the collapse of the Berlin Wall.
This was a information that apprised people about their being supported by many people, and it scattered seeds of hope on the their heart.

前回に続いて、ベルリンの壁崩壊を導いた要因を探ります。
それは人々の心に希望の種を撒き、皆に支えられていることを知らしめた情報でした。

Berlin Wall construction in 1961 

< 2.  Berlin Wall construction in 1961 >

John Paul II 

< 3.  John Paul II >

What gave people a supportive push?
All the worker has a right of labor union formation, in order to protect a social right and human rights. “ Solidarity” is a precious mental inheritance in not only the Polish people but the world" (summary)
The pope from Poland, at the New Year's greeting in 1981, blamed it strongly to Poland government for oppressing the people by the martial law.
Those days, Western countries also blamed the high-handed policy of East European country’s government.
Christianity was ardently believed by people in East Europe and East Germany.
And the church had taken sides with the people and came to strongly request a conversation to the government. 
In East Germany too, from about 1982, a peaceful march was performed at the church in Leipzig every week.
And in first, the march that had begun at about 100 people became 200,000 people and spread in the whole country.


何が人々の背中を推したのか?
「すべての勤労者は、社会的権利と人権を守る為に、労働組合結成の権利を有する。「連帯」はポーランド国民だけでなく、世界の貴重な精神遺産である」(要約)
81年、ポーランド出身のローマ教皇が新年の挨拶で、戒厳令で国民を抑圧するポーランド政府に対し、これを強く非難した。
当時、西側諸国も東欧諸国政府の高圧的な政策を非難していた。
東欧や東ドイツはキリスト教が篤く信仰されており、その教会が国民の側に立ち、政府に対話を強く要請するようになっていた。
東ドイツでも、82年頃から、ライプチヒの教会で毎週、平和行進が行われ、百名程で始まったものが、最後には20万人規模になり、全土に広がった。

 a movie film of Katyn massacre 

 4.    a movie film of Katyn massacre  

In addition, by Gorbachev's information disclosure, some truths of the past disgusting incident in which the Soviet Union or communism system were concerned came to light.
And the history was reviewed, and the people had confidence in the direction of their aim at increasingly.

However, biggest thing that influenced people was probably that the people have shared the wave of East European democratization, and first-hand information from Western Europe.
In Hungary, people’s trip to Europe was liberalized completely in the beginning of 1988.
In East Germany, the television broadcasting from West Germany could be easily received from long ago, and acquisition of foreign newspapers or books was also easy.
In Romania, in order to restrict the information, the duty of the possession report of a typewriter had been imposed, but it could not interrupt the wave.
In this way, the wave had spread to Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Romania in no time.

またゴルバチョフの情報公開により、ソ連や共産体制が関わった過去の忌まわしい事件の真相が明るみに出て歴史が見直され、益々、人々は目指す方向に自信を持った。

しかしおそらく最も大きな影響を与えたのは、西欧の生の情報と東欧の民主化の波を、人々が共有出来たことだった。
ハンガリーでは、88年初めに、西欧への旅行が全面的に自由化された。
東ドイツでは、以前から西ドイツのテレビ放送を簡単に受信出来、外国の新聞や本の入手も容易になっていた。
ルーマニアでは情報を制限する為に、タイプライターの保有届けを義務づけていたが、その波を遮ることは出来なかった。
こうしてポーランド、ハンガリー、東ドイツ、チェコスロバキア、ルーマニアへと燎原の火のように気運は高まった。


 People of East Germany traversing a Hungary border 

 5.  People of East Germany traversing a Hungary border 

What was the last push?
In September 1989, Hungary government permitted the departure to Austria East German citizens asking for exile.
Thereby, a lot of East German citizens flowed into West Germany through both countries.
At this time, the wall of East-West division came to make no sense.
In East Germany, although there had been a quiet movement asking for their freedom from long ago, the demonstrations expanded at a stretch.
In October, Gorbachev who had visited to the East Germany encouraged the democracy movement of the people, in disregard of embarrassment of the East Germany government.
The government collapsed and the Berlin Wall was destroyed by citizens on November 9.

                                                                                     
最後の一撃は何だったのか?
89年9月、ハンガリーは亡命を求める東ドイツ国民に、西欧のオーストリアへの出国を解禁した。
これにより、大量の東ドイツ国民は両国を経由して、西ドイツに流れ込んだ。
この瞬間、東西分断の壁は意味を成さなくなった。
東ドイツでは、以前から自由と統一を求める静かな運動はあったが、一気にデモが拡大した。
10月、来訪していたゴルバチョフは、東ドイツ政府の困惑をよそに、国民の民主化運動を激励した。
さしもの政府も瓦解し、11月9日、壁は市民によって破壊された。

Summary

As crossing a border, the first-hand information that was transmitted by the exchange of economy or people taught the truth to the people, and also the support from abroad gave them courage.
In this way, the liberalization and the democratization that seemed to be impossibility became possible without bloodshed depending on the courage and the wise decision of many people aiming at the reform.

まとめ
国境を越え、経済や人々の交流、生きた情報が人々に真実を知らせ、さらに国外からの支援が彼らに勇気を与えた。
こうして不可能と思われた自由化と民主化は、改革を目指した多くの人々の勇気と英断により、無血で起こりえたのです。





20140602

The society and the information 30: information crosses the border 4

 the collapse of the Berlin Wall

< 1.  the collapse of the Berlin Wall >

This time, I watch a story of how the collapse of the Berlin Wall happened in 1989.
It was like that a stormy blew above the Soviet Union, East Europe, and defunct East Germany.
Just like a spring storm, after going away, the people would taste joy of the liberation.

今回は、1989年のベルリンの壁崩壊が起こった経緯を見ます。
それはソ連と東欧、東独を巻き込んだ嵐でした。
まるで春の嵐のように、去った後、人々は解放の喜びを味わうことになった。


both the Presidents of Reagan and Gorbachev

< 2.  both the Presidents of Reagan and Gorbachev



Summary

After the collapse of the Berlin Wall, East-West Germany was unified.
And East European countries such as Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia converted from the single-party regime subordinated to the Soviet Union to a democracy nation.
Now, many have participated in EU and the people get freedom and economic development.
The people seem to enjoy fully the freedom of a movement, a habitation, a finding employment, and speech in the EU area.
However, ten years ago, there was no freedom in those countries, the people suffered economic stagnation, and their complaint was suppressed by the security police and the army.

概要
ベルリンの壁崩壊後、東西ドイツは統一され、ポーランドやハンガリー、チェコスロバキアなどの東欧諸国は、ソ連従属の一党独裁体制から民主制国家へと転換した。
現在、多くはEUに参加し、人々は自由と経済発展を手に入れました。
人々はEU域内の移動、居住、就職、言論の自由を満喫しているように見える。
しかしほんの10年前、それらの国では自由が無く、経済低迷に喘ぎ、不平不満は治安警察や軍隊によって圧殺されていた。


 Hungarian capital of Budapest and Danube 

< 3.  Hungarian capital of Budapest and Danube >

What became a trigger?
While the Soviet Union economy had become weak, in 1985, the President Gorbachev appeared with advocating perestroika (reform) and glasnost (information disclosure).
He thought it indispensable for people facing directly the problem and talking frankly for escaping from the slump.
In the federation, he aimed at the democratization and promoted a market economy from a planned economy.
As for the diplomacy, he promoted a nuclear disarmament between the U.S., and declared the military nonintervention to East Europe, or recognizing the independent of the republic in the federation.
In the backdrop, there was a failure of the planned economy, the high burden of military expansion expenses, and a detente among the U.S., Republic of China, and the Soviet Union.
In addition, the disaster of Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 raised an importance of people's information disclosure, and awareness about the politics.  
Under one-party regime that was assumed to have been decayed strongly, I was amazed that the reform had advanced without big resistance.


何が引き金になったのか?
ソ連は経済が弱体していく中で、85年、ゴルバチョフ大統領がペレストロイカ(改革)とグラスノスチ(情報公開)を掲げて登場しました。
彼は低迷を脱するには国民が問題を直視し、率直に語り合うことが不可欠と考えた。
彼は連邦内では、民主化を目指し、計画経済から市場経済を推し進めた。
外交では米国との核軍縮を進め、連邦内の共和国の独立容認、東欧への軍事不介入を宣言した。
この背景には、計画経済の失敗、軍拡費の高負担、米中ソ間の緊張緩和があった。
また86年のチェルノブイリ原発事故は、国民が情報開示の重要性、政治への関心を高めることになった。
あれほど腐敗し強固に見えた一党独裁体制下で、大きな抵抗もなく改革が進むことに私は驚嘆した。


"Prague Spring" incident in Czechoslovakia

< 4.  "Prague Spring" incident in Czechoslovakia  

What had been occurring in East Europe?

Although East European people appealed for the reform of economy and politics many times with performing the demonstration and the strike, people were strangled after bloodletting always.
In Czechoslovakia, "Prague Spring" which aimed at liberalization in 1968 collapsed by the Soviet Union having led the army, and the dark long time came to continue.
However, in Poland, the trade union "Solidarity" of 1 million people affiliation was formed in 1980 and pressed the government for the reform.
Hungary was closest to Europe historically, borrowed much money from Europe, and the economic exchange advanced.
And then the democratization momentum of the people had been rising.
In 1985, the party that the trade union having been born one after another recommended won congressional seat for the first time in the general election finally.
And one-party dictatorship was broken.
As for this, other East Europe and East Germany were similar.
 

東欧で何が起きていたのか?
東欧の人々は、幾度も経済と政治の改革を訴えデモやストを行ったが、その都度、流血の末、封殺された。
68年、チェコスロバキアで自由化を目指した「プラハの春」はソ連率いる軍隊により潰え、長く暗い時代が続くことになる。
しかしポーランドでは、80年に百万人加盟の自主労組「連帯」が結成され政府に改革を迫った。
またハンガリーは、歴史的に西欧に最も近く、西欧から多くの融資を受け、経済交流も進み、民主化気運が高まっていた。
85年、次々に誕生した自主労組の推す党が、ついには総選挙で議席を初めて占め、一党独裁は破られた。
これは他の東欧や東ドイツも同様でした。


 Chairman Walesa of “Solidarity” in Poland 

< 5.   Chairman Walesa of “Solidarity” in Poland >

Next time, I look at what made the people challenging.

次回は、何が人々の背中を推したのかを見ます。






20140531

Travel to Turkey 6:  Scenery from our bus window until Konya


A farm village and a large lake


< 1.  A farm village and a large lake 

I introduce the rural scenery of Anatolian plateau today.
Our bus ran 410 km from Pamukkale to Konya.
In the interim, I took pictures of the scenery from the bus window.

今日は、アナトリア高原の田園風景を紹介します。
私達のバスはパムツカレからコンヤまでの410kmを走りました。
その間、車窓に広がる景色を撮りました。


hills and rural sceneries

< 2.  hills and rural sceneries >

There were the crystal clear sky and white clouds, and the green carpet had covered the hills and the ground.
There weren't even small rivers, ponds, or forest, and the ground had been dry.

澄み切った空、白い雲、丘と大地を覆う緑の絨毯が広がっています。
河や池を見かけることは無く、樹林の少ない乾燥の大地でした。


a village

< 3.  a village >

One of the charmed scenes was a village.
Although I could not take a good picture, the form of many villages was like a sector sticking to the foot of small hill.
Among many private houses of red roof in the village, there was always a mosque having a silver dome and a minaret.
From the village, one white way passes through the green farm and extends to a main road of the basin.
In addition, tall poplars stand out in the boundary of many farmhouses and farms.
It is said that this poplar will be planted when a child was born and it will be cut at the time of the marriage in order to make as furniture for giving to the grown child.
It is a scene of the village unlike Japan.


私が心惹かれた景観は集落です。
上手く写真が撮れなかったのですが、多くの集落は小高い山裾に張り付く扇形をしていました。
その村には赤い屋根瓦の民家に混じって、必ず一つは銀色に輝く丸屋根も持つモスクと尖塔がありました。
その村から一本の白い道が緑の畑を抜けて、盆地の幹線道路へと延びています。
また農家や畑の境には背の高いポプラが目につきます。
このポプラは子供が生まれたら植栽し、結婚時に伐採し、家具にして与えるものだそうです。
日本とは異なる集落の景観です。


mountains and a flower

< 4. mountains and a flower  


 agricultural work 

< 5.  agricultural work >

Villagers seem to be working jointly.
In lower photograph, one car is running the farm road.
It appears that five women wearing farm clothes have been getting seated in the carrier of the car.

村人達が共同して作業をしているようです。
下の写真には、農道を一台の車が走っています。
その荷台には5人程の野良着の女性達が載っています。


 a souvenir shop 

< 6.  a souvenir shop >

I am always excited in souvenir shop.
I bought one book of the folktale of the Japanese version here.


いつも土産物屋で、わくわくします。
私はここで、日本語版の民話の本を買いました。





20140529

History of sickness and medical art 26: China 1

 Bronze ware, the 6th century B.C. 

< 1.  Bronze ware, the 6th century B.C. 

I look at the medical art of China in the first millennium B.C.
This time, I survey Chinese medical art of those days.

紀元前1千年紀頃の中国の医術を見ます。
今回は、当時の中国医学を概観します。



Terracotta Army in Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

< 2.  Terracotta Army in Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, the 3rd century B.C. >

The Chinese civilization began from a large number of city-states that was born in the Yellow River middle region.
The oldest dynasty is "Xia" in about 2070 B.C.
In the wake of the large conflict of “ Chun qiu Zhan guo shi dai”(770B.C.~221B.C.), Qin Dynasty accomplished first unification, then Han Dynasty (202B.C.~220A.D.) took it.
From these days, China was the supreme ruler of East Asia and was the most advanced civilized country.


中国文明は黄河中流域に誕生した多数の都市国家から始まりました。
最古の王朝は紀元前2070年頃の「夏」です。
春秋戦国時代(前770~前221年)の大争乱の果てに、秦帝国が統一を成し、それを漢(前202~後220年)が奪った。
この頃から、中国は東アジアの覇者であり、先進文明国であった。


Chinese drama "Confucius"

 3. Chinese drama "Confucius" 

For us, China was a great teacher and a cultural superpower that had abundant classics.
Although the birth of a character would be in about the 16th century B.C., it became popular for writing to a strip of wood card and a silk cloth.
The contents became various from about the 8th century, and it were written about a myth, poetry, the history, accounts of war, the thought, and the medical art.
Such as Confucius, the thinker's birth that began from about the 6th century B.C. became a landmark event of culture.


我々にとって中国は偉大な師匠であり、豊富な古典を有する文化大国でした。
文字の誕生は前16世紀頃ですが、普及したのは木の札や絹布に書かれるようになってからです。
その内容は前8世紀頃から多様になり、神話、詩歌、歴史、戦記、思想、医術も著された。
前6世紀頃から始まった、孔子などの諸子百家と呼ばれる思想家の誕生が文化の画期となった。


Chinese medicine drugstore street in Guangzhou 

< 4. Chinese medicine drugstore street in Guangzhou >

The old medical art of China is called Chinese medicine and is contributing by the drug and health management method still today.
It includes Chinese herb, massage, and a food therapy meaning that foods are medicines.
And especially acupuncture, moxa cautery, and a therapy by life energy are peculiar.
The medical art of China was tied to much God and black art in the first stage in common with other civilization.


中国の医術は漢方と呼ばれ、現在でも薬剤や健康法で貢献しています。
それには漢方薬、医食同源、按摩などがあり、特に鍼、灸、気は独特なものです。
中国の医術も他の文明と同様に初期は多くの神や呪術と結びついていました。
この特徴は、大陸の端にあって他文明から隔絶し、広大な地域に多数の民族がいたことにあるのでしょう。



< 5.  Inscriptions on bones and tortoise carapaces, the 13 –11th century B.C. >

I introduce two stories.
Policymaker uses the doctor who performs fortune-telling by a tortoise shell and bamboo sticks." (the 2nd century B.C.- the 2nd A.D.)

This sickness cannot get cured. The moxa cautery does not work because that it is located at the lower side of your heart and upper side of your diaphragm. And the acupuncture does not reach it. Medicines also do not work additionally.” (About the 4th century B.C. time)  

The former shows that they depended on treatment of witch doctor performing a fortune-telling and a prayer.
The latter shows that famous physician in ordinary to King of Qin was invited to Jin, and he diagnosed the King of Jin.
In those times, there was a doctor who won fame by medicine.
He had known three kinds of cures and diagnosed for medical problem.

I look at how the empirical science-like medical art including the magical factor has changed, from the first millennium B.C. to the 3rd century A.D.


二つの話を紹介します。
「為政者、亀甲と筮竹(ぜいちく)による占いをたのみ、好みて巫医(ふい)を用いる。」(管子より、紀元前後に集成)

「この病気は治療できない、横隔膜の上、心臓下部の下は灸治もできず、刺鍼も届かず、さらに、薬も効きません。」(左伝より、紀元前4世紀頃に集成)

前者は、占いや祈祷を行う巫(みこ)の治療に頼っていたことを示す。
後者は、前6世紀末、有名な秦王の侍医・医爰(イエン)が晋に招かれて王を診断し、既に手遅れと述べたところです。
この時、王は自ら病が絶望的であると指摘されたにもかかわらず、その診断の確かさを褒めた。
この時代、医術で名声を博した医者がおり、内科的な病に対して診断を行い、3種類の治療法を有していたことがわかる。

このように呪術と経験科学的な医術が、紀元前1千年から紀元3世紀頃までにどのように変化していったかを見ます。



20140527

New fables of Aesop 9: One tree of persimmon

 persimmon

Once upon a time, there was a tree of persimmon in a valley between two mountains.
Monkeys lived in each mountain peacefully.

昔々、二つの山の間にある谷に一本の柿の木がありました。
それぞれの山には猿達が平和に暮らしていました。

mountain

One monkey found the tree of persimmon in the valley.
“ Come autumn, the tree seems to bear splendid fruits.”
However, a monkey of opposite mountain has stared at here.
“ Monkeys of opposite mountain seem to take these.”

一匹の猿が谷の柿木を見つけました。
「こりゃ秋になれば立派な実をつけそうだ!」
ところが向こう山の猿も、こちらをじいっと見詰めていました。
「向こうの猿が採りそうだな!」

monkey

This young monkey returned to his group and talked with an elder.
"Is a tree of persimmon in the valleys our thing?"
The elder answered that he didn't know about the old days, and you should not contact with it.
Then a robust monkey that had been hearing it said.
“ Well then, we should prevent his picking persimmons.

この若猿は群れに帰り、長老に相談しました。
「谷の柿の木は、我々のものですよね?」
長老は昔の事は解らないが、関わらない方が良いと応えました。
すると、それを聞いた屈強な猿が言いました。
「それじゃ採られないようにすれば良いじゃないか?」

monkey

At first, several monkeys came out from both mountains, and they glared at each other on both sides of the tree of persimmon.
One monkey said at a certain moment.
You must not pick these.”
In reverse, you really must not pick these.

The robust monkey said to everybody.
Must be not underestimated by them, and everybody must show fighting posture with holding a stick in your hand!”
The elder looking at it rebuked young monkeys.
“ It will become irreparable.”

Before long, young monkeys of two groups with a stick came to face each other all together in the valley.
Then, the battle started in the wake of having given someone's cough.


最初、両方の山から数匹づつの猿が出て来て、互いに柿の木を挟んで睨み合うようになりました。
ある時、一匹が言いました。
「お前ら、採るんじゃないぞ!」
「おまえらこそ採るんじゃないぞ!」

その屈強な猿は皆に言いました。
「舐めらんじゃないぞ! 皆、手に棒を持って戦う姿勢を示せ!」
それを見ていた長老は、取り返しのつかないことになるぞと若猿達をたしなめました。

やがて谷に棒を持った二グループの若猿達が総出で対峙するようになりました。
そして、誰かが咳きをした切っ掛けに戦いが始まってしまいました。


monkey

The year, autumn came to the valley.
Nobody ate persimmons, and when it became red ripe, it only fell into the ground.
If look closely, “ Brave man died here.”  It had been written to a mossy monument.

その年、谷に秋が訪れました。
柿の実は誰にも食べられないまま赤く熟しては地面に落ちていくだけでした。
よく見ると、苔むした碑には「勇者、ここに眠る」と書かれていました。